Drawer glide mechanism

ABSTRACT

A drawer glide mechanism can include a first elongate guide member, a second elongate glide member, a ball bearing component, and a v-notch socket. The first elongate guide member includes a distal end that is configured to fit within an opening in the v-notch socket. The drawer glide mechanism can further include one or more floating members and fixed members.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/502,991, titled DRAWER GLIDE MECHANISM and filed Sep. 30, 2014, whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/445,665, titledDRAWER GLIDE MECHANISM and filed Apr. 12, 2012, which claims benefitunder 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/552,128, filed Oct. 27, 2011, and to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/606,266, filed Mar. 2, 2012. Each of the foregoingapplication are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety. Any and all priority claims identified in the Application DataSheet, or any correction thereto, are hereby incorporated by referenceunder 37 CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS

Field of the Inventions

The present application relates generally to drawer glide mechanisms.

Description of the Related Art

Drawer glide mechanisms are commonly used to facilitate the opening andclosing of drawers. Drawer glide mechanisms generally include aplurality of elongate guide members that slide relative to one another.The elongate guide members are often metal or plastic pieces mounted,for example, to the sides of drawers, and/or within a storage device(e.g. cabinetry).

Some common drawer glide mechanisms are referred to as epoxy glides.These types of drawer glide mechanisms are low cost, and include asingle roller (e.g. wheel) on both ends of the glide mechanism. Therollers are used to allow a drawer to slide in and out of a piece ofcabinetry along the guide members. The epoxy glides can be mounted tothe back of a cabinetry, for example, using a single piece v-notchsocket. The v-notch socket, which is generally a single plastic piecemounted to the back of a cabinetry, can receive one end of a guidemember to help hold the guide member in place.

Other types of drawer glide mechanisms incorporate ball bearing guidemembers that allow a drawer to slide in and out in a more smooth manner.These drawer glide mechanisms often require an expensive, larger,thicker, and/or heavier two-piece socket with multiple screws or otherfasteners to fasten the two-piece socket in place to the back of astorage unit. These drawer glide mechanisms are used for example inindustrial settings and for high-end cabinetry where there are tightdimensional tolerances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein includesthe realization that epoxy glides can often create rough, uneven drawermovement within a piece of cabinetry, due to the single rollers, loosefit of the guides, and the size/weight of a cabinet drawer.

Another aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed hereinincludes the realization that due to the high cost and labor involvedwith the two-piece socket and ball bearing guide, and the lack of tighttolerances often found in kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, a typical ballbearing drawer glide mechanism is not ideal for use in mass productionof kitchen/bathroom cabinetry.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a drawer glide mechanism forkitchens/bathroom cabinetry that utilizes the advantage of ball bearingguides for smooth operation of the drawer, and also utilizes theadvantage of a v-notch type socket for cost-efficiency.

Thus, in accordance with at least one embodiment described herein, adrawer glide mechanism can comprise a first elongate guide member havinga distal end, a second elongate guide member nested within the firstelongate guide member, a ball bearing component comprising a pluralityof ball bearings between the first and second elongate guide membersconfigured to permit movement of the second elongate guide memberrelative the first elongate guide member, and a v-notch socket having atleast a first opening for receiving the distal end of the first elongateguide member.

Another aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed hereinincludes the realization that wood and/or other types of drawers oftenare warped or are otherwise misshapen and uneven. When installing awarped drawer into a cabinet, it can be difficult to properly align andinstall the drawer, particularly when the drawer is intended to beattached directly to one or more drawer glides.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a drawer glide mechanism forkitchens/bathroom cabinetry that utilizes an attachment structure thatcompensates for warping of drawers, and facilitates easy attachment andadjustment of the drawer within the cabinetry.

Thus, in accordance with at least one embodiment disclosed herein, adrawer glide mechanism can comprise a first elongate guide member havinga distal end, a second elongate guide member nested within the firstelongate guide member, the second elongate guide member having alongitudinally extending body, a fixed member protruding from andextending generally transverse to the longitudinally extending body, anda floating member extending at least partially over the fixed member,the floating member configured to slide over the first fixed member in atransverse direction relative the longitudinally extending body.

In accordance with at least another embodiment disclosed herein, adrawer system can comprise a drawer cabinet comprising a back sidepanel, two side panels, and a plurality of face frame components, twodrawer glide mechanisms, each of the drawer glide mechanisms attached tothe back side panel and comprising a first elongate guide member havinga longitudinally extending body and a distal end, a second elongateguide member nested within the first elongate guide member, the secondelongate guide member having a longitudinally extending body, at leastone fixed member protruding from and extending generally transverse tothe longitudinally extending body of the second elongate guide member,at least one floating member extending at least partially over the fixedmember, the floating member configured to slide over the first fixedmember in a transverse direction relative the longitudinally extendingbody of the second elongate guide member, a ball bearing componentcomprising a plurality of ball bearings between the first and secondelongate guide members configured to permit longitudinal movement of thesecond elongate guide member relative to the first elongate guidemember, a socket having a body portion, at least a first opening in thebody portion, and at least one dowel portion protruding from a back sideof the body portion and into the back side panel of the drawer cabinet,the socket configured to receive the distal end of the first elongateguide member, and a drawer comprising a back drawer panel, two sidedrawer panels, and a front drawer panel, the drawer attached to thesecond elongate guide member via the at least one floating member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present embodiments willbecome more apparent upon reading the following detailed description andwith reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drawer glidemechanism;

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the drawer glide mechanism ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the drawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the drawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5-9 are views of a v-notch socket of the drawer glide mechanism ofFIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective view of a first elongate guide member ofthe drawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a ball bearing component of the drawerglide mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the cross-section taken along line A-Ain FIG. 1;

FIGS. 13 is a perspective view of a second elongate guide member of thedrawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1, illustrating a plurality of fixed andfloating members attached thereto;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the second elongate guide member of thedrawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1, illustrating removal of the floatingmembers, with the fixed members remaining;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the second elongate guide member of thedrawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1, illustrating removal of both the fixedand floating members;

FIG. 16A is a front view of one of the floating members;

FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of the floating member of FIG. 16A;

FIG. 16C is a bottom plan view of the floating member of FIG. 16A;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of one of the fixed members;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are cross-sectional views illustrating two differentpositions of one of the fixed and floating members;

FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view of the drawer glide mechanism ofFIG. 1, illustrating an embossed portion on a distal end of the firstelongate guide member;

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a drawer cabinet systemincluding the drawer glide mechanism of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the drawer cabinet system of FIG. 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a drawer glide mechanism 10 can comprise av-notch socket 12, a first elongate guide member 14, a ball bearingcomponent 16, and a second elongate guide member 18. The first elongateguide member 14 and second elongate member 18 can comprise elongatepieces of metal, plastic, or other suitable material. The first elongateguide member 14 can be coupled (e.g. releasably coupled) to the v-notchsocket 12, and/or can also be coupled to the second elongate guidemember 18. For example, the second elongate guide member 18 can benested within the first elongate guide member 14. The ball bearingcomponent 16 can be nested between the first elongate guide member 14and second elongate guide member 18. The second elongate guide member 18can be free to move (e.g. glide) relative to the first elongate guidemember 14 in at least one direction via the ball bearing component 16.For example, the second elongate guide member 18 can glide alongside alength the first elongate guide member 14, generally parallel to thefirst elongate guide member 14. Other arrangements of the first elongateguide member 14 and second elongate guide member 18 are also possible.For example, in some embodiments the first elongate guide member 14 canbe nested within the second elongate guide member 18. In someembodiments one or more of the elongate guide members 14, 18 can betelescopingly engaged with one another. In some embodiments more thantwo elongate guide members can be used. In some embodiments more thanone ball bearing component 16 can be used.

With reference to FIGS. 5-9, the v-notch socket 12 can comprise a bodyportion 20, a first opening 22, a second opening 24, and at least oneprotruding v-notch dowel portion 26. The body portion 20 can becomprised of plastic, or other suitable material. The first opening 22can, for example, be cut out of, or molded as part of, the body 20. Thefirst opening 22 can be located on a front-facing portion of the v-notchsocket 12. The first opening 22 can be large enough to receive a distalend of the first elongate guide member 14. The second opening 24 can,for example, be cut out of or molded as part of, the body 20. The secondopening 24 can be located on a side-facing portion of the v-notch socket12. The second opening 24 can be large enough to receive at least aportion of the distal end of the first elongate guide member 14. In someembodiments, the first and second openings 22, 24 can be continuous, andlinked together, such that they form one opening and pathway through thebody of the v-notch socket 12.

With continued reference to FIGS. 5-9, the at least one v-notch dowelportion 26 can comprise, for example, a plastic dowel piece that isintegrally formed with (e.g. molded with) the body portion 20. Thev-notch dowel portion 26 can extend from a back-facing portion of thev-notch socket 12. The v-notch dowel portion 26 can extend from the body20 on an opposite side of the body 20 as the first opening 22. In someembodiments, the v-notch socket 12 can have two v-notch dowel portions26, though other numbers are also possible. The v-notch dowel portions26 can be configured to be inserted into the back side paneling of adrawer cabinet. Specifically, the v-notch dowel portions 26 can beconfigured to be inserted into a relatively thin back side drawer panel.For example, in some embodiments, the v-notch dowel portions 26 can beconfigured to be inserted into a thin back side drawer panel that is nogreater than 5 mm in thickness. In some embodiments the v-notch dowelportions 26 can be configured to be inserted into a back side drawerpanel that is no greater than 4 mm in thickness. In some embodiments thev-notch dowel portions 26 can be configured to be inserted into a backside drawer panel that is no greater than 3 mm in thickness. In someembodiments the v-notch dowel portions 26 can be configured to beinserted into a back side drawer panel that is no greater than 2 mm inthickness. Other ranges and values are also possible. Thus, at least insome embodiments, plastic v-notch dowel portions 26 and a plasticv-notch socket 12 can facilitate holding an attached metal firstelongate guide member 14, metal ball bearing component 16, and metalsecond elongate guide member 18 in place within a drawer cabinet, evenif the drawer cabinet has relatively thin paneling. With reference toFIG. 9, in some embodiments the v-notch socket 12 can include one ormore tabs 27. The tabs 27 can be used to help guide a distal end of thefirst elongate guide member 14. The tabs 27 can be used to helpgenerally hold (e.g. frictionally) a distal end of the first elongateguide member 14 in place and inhibit or prevent movement of the distalend of the first elongate guide member 14 relative the v-notch socket 12in at least one direction.

With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the first elongate guide member 14can comprise a web portion 28, a first flange portion 30 extending fromthe web portion 28, and a second flange portion 32 extending from theweb portion 28. The web portion 28, first flange portion 30, and secondflange portion 32 can form a generally U-shaped profile. Otherconfigurations and shapes for the first elongate guide member 14 arealso possible. The first elongate guide member 14 can also comprise astop member 34. The stop member 34 can comprise a piece of plastic,rubber, or other material, configured to limit relative motion betweenthe first elongate guide member 14 and second elongate guide member 18.The stop member 34 can be located generally at a distal end of the firstelongate guide member 14, though other locations are also possible.

With continued reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the first elongate guidemember 14 can further comprise a sidewall attachment mechanism 36. Thesidewall attachment mechanism 36 can comprise, for example, a plasticdowel that is rigidly affixed to one side of the first elongate guidemember 14. The sidewall attachment mechanism 36 can be used, forexample, to attach the first elongate guide member 14 to a face framecomponent or the inside side paneling of a drawer cabinet. Thus, in someembodiments, both the v-notch dowel portions 26 described above, as wellas the sidewall attachment mechanism 36, can be used to help attachand/or generally fix the position and/or orientation of the firstelongate guide mechanism 36 within a drawer cabinet.

With continued reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the first elongate guidemember 14 can comprise a distal end 38 that is bent relative to thegenerally longitudinally extending remaining portion of the firstelongate guide member 14. For example, the distal end 38 can be bent ata generally 90 degree angle relative to the rest of the elongate guidemember 14. The distal end 38 can be bent, for example, inwardly suchthat it will extend directly behind a drawer when the drawer is attachedto the elongate guide members 14, 18. In some embodiments the distal end38 can have a generally fork-shaped configuration, such that the distalend has both a first forked member 40 and a second forked member 42. Insome embodiments the forked-shaped configuration can facilitateattachment of the distal end 38 into the first opening 22 of the v-notchsocket 12 described above.

With reference to FIG. 12, and as described above, the drawer glidemechanism 10 can comprise a ball bearing component 16 (e.g. what iscommonly referred to as a race). The ball bearing component 16 cancomprise a plurality of ball bearing rollers 44. The ball bearingrollers 44 can be spaced apart from one another and located alongopposing sides of the ball bearing component 16. The ball bearingcomponent 16 can be nested between the first elongate guide member 14and second elongate guide member 18 so as to facilitate a smooth glidingmotion between the first elongate guide member 14 and second elongateguide member 18.

With reference to FIGS. 12A-15, the second elongate guide member 18 cancomprise a web portion 46, a first flange portion 48 extending from webportion 46, and a second flange portion 50 extending from web portion46. The web portion 46, first flange portion 48, and second flangeportion 50 can form a generally U-shaped profile. Other configurationsand shapes for the second elongate guide member 18 are also possible.

As illustrated in FIG. 12A, the drawer glide mechanism 10 can optimallyand advantageously include components that are nested and capturedwithin one another, so as to severely restrict or entirely prohibitrelative movement of components. For example, as illustrated in FIG.12A, the first elongate guide member 14 can include the web portion 28and first and second flange portions 30, 32. In some embodiments thefirst flange portion 30 can be shaped so as to curve over one set of theball bearings 44 along the ball bearing component 16. Similarly, thesecond flange portion 32 can be shaped so as to curve over the other,opposite set of ball bearings 44 along the ball bearing component 16.Additionally, the second elongate guide member 18 can include the webportion 46 and first and second flange portions 48, 50. In someembodiments the first flange portion 48 can be shaped so as to curveover one set of ball bearings 44 along the ball bearing component 16.Similarly, the second flange portion 50 can be shaped so as to curveover the other, opposite set of ball bearings 44 along the ball bearingcomponent 16. This curvature of the first flange portions 30, 48, andthe second flange portions 32, 50 effectively captures the secondelongate guide member 18 within the ball bearing component 16, andcaptures the ball bearing component 16 within the first elongate guidemember 14. The overall capturing of these components severely restrictsor entirely prohibits the second elongate guide member 18 from movingaway from the first elongate guide member 14 in any direction other thanalong a path parallel to the second elongate guide member provided bythe ball bearing component 16. Thus, the only relative movement of thefirst elongate guide member 14 and second elongate guide member 18 thatis allowed is the relative sliding of the guide members 14, 18 alongparallel paths. This arrangement advantageously provides for smoothoperation.

With reference to FIGS. 13-15, the second elongate guide member 18 canalso comprise at least one slot 52. The slot 52 can be located, forexample, along a distal end of the second elongate guide member 18. Theslot 52 can be used to allow for adjustability of an attached drawer.For example, the vertical slot 52 can allow for vertical adjustment of adrawer that is attached to the second elongate guide member 18. In someembodiments a fastener or other device can be inserted through the slot52. Because of the size and shape of the slot 52, the fastener or otherdevice can slide vertically up and down within the slot 52, thusallowing relative movement of the drawer to the second elongate guidemember 18.

With reference to FIGS. 13-17, the drawer glide mechanism 10 can alsocomprise one or more structures that are adjustable to compensate forvariations in drawer size, shape, and/or warping. For example, thedrawer glide mechanism 10 can comprise at least one floating member 54,and at least one fixed member 56. The floating member 54 can beconfigured to attach directly to the side of a drawer, as well as to beattached, in a floating manner, to the fixed member 56. The fixed member56 can be rigidly attached to, or integrally formed with, one or more ofthe first elongate guide member 14 and second elongate guide member 18.For example, a plurality of floating members 54 can comprise plasticdowels, and a plurality of fixed members 56 can comprise metal pins. Thefixed members 56 can be attached to (e.g. welded to) locations 58 alongthe second elongate guide member 18, as seen in FIG. 15. The fixedmembers 56 can be spaced apart longitudinally along a length of thesecond elongate guide member 18. In some embodiments, more than twofixed members 56 can be used.

With reference to FIGS. 16A-C, in some embodiments the floating member54 can comprise a first end 60, a second end 62, and a plurality ofridges 64 between the first end 60 and second end 62. The ridges 64 canbe used to facilitate attachment of the floating member 54 to the sidepaneling of a drawer. The floating members 54 can be configured to beinserted into the side paneling of a drawer. Specifically, the floatingmembers 54 can be configured to be inserted into a relatively thin sidepanel of a drawer. For example, in some embodiments, the floatingmembers 54 can be configured to be inserted into a thin side paneling ofa drawer that is no greater than 5 mm in thickness. In some embodimentsthe floating members 54 can be configured to be inserted into the sidepaneling of a drawer that is no greater than 4 mm in thickness. In someembodiments the floating members 54 can be configured to be insertedinto the side paneling of a drawer that is no greater than 3 mm inthickness. In some embodiments the floating members 54 can be configuredto be inserted into the side paneling of a drawer that is no greaterthan 2 mm in thickness. Other ranges and values are also possible.

In some embodiments the floating member 54 can have an overall length“L1” of no greater than 12 mm. In some embodiments the floating member54 can have an overall length “L1” of no greater than 10 mm. In someembodiments the floating member 54 can have an overall length “L1” of nogreater than 8 mm. Other ranges and values are also possible.

With reference to FIGS. 16B, 17A, and 17B, the floating member 54 caninclude at least one opening 66. In some embodiments the opening 66 canextend entirely through the floating member 54. For example, the opening66 can extend from the first end 60 through to the second end 62. Theopening 66 can be shaped and/or sized to accommodate one of the fixedmembers 56. For example, and as illustrated in FIG. 16B, the opening 66can have a first diameter D1 near the first end 60 and a second, smallerdiameter D2 near the second end 62. The two diameters D1, D2 can formledges 67 within the floating member 54. The opening 66 can also have alength “H” where the opening 66 includes the first diameter D1.

As illustrated in FIG. 17, the fixed member 56 can comprise a firstportion 68, a second portion 70, and a third portion 72. In someembodiments the fixed member 56 can have an overall length “L2” of nogreater than 12 mm. In some embodiments the fixed member 56 can have anoverall length “L2” of no greater than 10 mm. In some embodiments thefixed member 56 can have an overall length “L2” of no greater than 8 mm.Other ranges and values are also possible. In some embodiments the thirdportion 72 can be attached (e.g. via welding) to the locations 58 shownin FIG. 15. In some embodiments the first portion 68 can have a diameterD3. The diameter D3 can be larger than that of D2, but no greater thanthat of D1. The first portion 68 can also comprise a length “T”. In someembodiments the length “T” can be smaller than the length “H.”

With reference to FIGS. 16B, 17, 17A, and 17B, when the fixed member 56is positioned within the floating member 54, the first portion 68 cansit within the portion of the opening 66 having the length “H.” Becausethe diameter D3 of the first portion 68 of fixed member 56 is largerthan the diameter D2 of the opening 66, the ledges 67 can work toprevent the floating member 54 from moving relative to the fixed member56 past a fixed point. Thus, the floating member 54 can be limited inits movement in at least one direction (e.g. away from the secondelongate guide member 18) due to the ledges 67. The floating member 54can also be limited in its movement in a second direction (e.g. towardsthe second elongate guide member 18) by the floating member 54contacting the first elongate guide member 14. The arrows in FIG. 13illustrate available directions of movement of the floating members 54.

With reference to FIGS. 16B, 17, 17A, and 17B, because the length “H” ofthe opening 66 in the floating member 54 is larger than the length “T”of the first portion 68 of the fixed member 56, it is possible for thefloating member 54 to slide relative to the fixed member 56 without thefirst portion 68 of the fixed member 56 ever extending out of thefloating member 54. In some embodiments, for example, the ratio of thelength “H” to the length “T” can be between approximately 1.0 and 1.5.In some embodiments the ratio of the length “H” to the length “T” can bebetween approximately 1.0 and 2.0. In some embodiments the ratio of thelength “H” to the length “T” can be between approximately 1.0 and 3.0.Other values and ranges are also possible.

As illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 13, 17A, and 17B, the movement ofthe floating member 54 can be generally transverse to the secondelongate member 18. This movement permits adjustability and compensationfor drawer warping along the side of the drawer. For example, and asdescribed above, often times a drawer will be slightly warped and/orotherwise misshaped. When installing the drawer, the floating members 54can be inserted into the side paneling of the drawer. Because one end ofthe drawer may be sticking out farther than another due to warping, thefloating members 54 may end up moving out to different lengths along thearrow directions in FIG. 13. This allows the drawer to easily beattached to the second elongate guide member 18. Additionally, the useof floating members 54 and fixed members 56 allows for self-correctionand self-adjustment of the drawer and drawer glide mechanism 10. Thus,the floating members 54 do not require additional mechanical adjustmentsonce the drawer is installed. Rather, the very nature of the floatingmembers 54 described above permits automatic self-adjustment, since thefloating member 54 will slide over the fixed members 56 as needed tocompensate for any warping in the drawer.

With reference to FIG. 18, the drawer glide mechanism 10 can alsocomprise at least one embossed portion 74 for spacing purposes wheninstalling the drawer glide mechanism 10 within a drawer cabinet. Forexample, the drawer glide mechanism 10 can comprise an embossed portion74 located generally at a distal end of the first elongate guide member14. The embossed portion 74 can comprise a raised piece of metal alongthe first elongate guide member 14. The embossed portion 74 can act as aspacer within the interior of a drawer cabinet. For example, theembossed portion 74 can create a spacing between the first elongateguide member 14 and a face frame component or an inside side paneling ofa drawer cabinet. This spacing can facilitate installation of the drawerglide mechanism 10, and help to prevent unwanted friction or contactbetween various components of the drawer glide mechanism 10, drawer,and/or drawer cabinet.

With reference to FIGS. 19 and 20, an embodiment of a drawer system 110can include two drawer glide mechanisms 10, a drawer cabinet 78, and adrawer 80. The drawer cabinet 78 can include a back side panel 82 and atleast two sidewall panels 84, 86. The two drawer glide mechanisms 10 canbe attached to the back side panel 82. For example, and as describedabove, the drawer glide mechanisms 10 can include dowel portions 26 thatare configured to extend into the back side panel 82. The dowel portions26 can hold the v-notch sockets 12 in place. In embodiments where thedrawer cabinet 110 is a face frame cabinet, the drawer cabinet 78 canalso include one or more face frame components. For example, and asillustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, the drawer cabinet 78 can include faceframe components 88, 90, and 92. The face frame components 88, 90, 92can provide a framework within which one or more drawers or cabinetdoors can be fitted. Additionally, the face frame components 88 and 90can be used to anchor the first elongate guide member 14. For example,and with reference to FIGS. 18 and 20, the sidewall attachmentmechanisms 36 described above can be inserted into the face framecomponents 88 and 90. The sidewall attachment mechanisms 36 can beinserted such that the face frame components 88 and 90 are generallyflush with the embossed portion 74 of the first elongate guide member14.

With continued reference to FIGS. 19 and 20, the drawer 80 can include aback drawer panel 94, two side drawer panels 96, 98, and a front drawerpanel 100. The drawer glide mechanisms 10 can be attached to the drawer80 via the floating members 54 and fixed members 56 described above. Forexample, and with reference to FIG. 20, the floating members 54 can beinserted into the side drawer panels 96, 98. The floating members 54 andfixed members 56 can accommodate for any warped portions of the sidedrawer panels 96, 98. As illustrated in FIG. 19, the drawer glidemechanisms 10 can permit the drawer 80 to be moved in and out of thedrawer cabinet 78. When the drawer 80 is moved into the drawer cabinet78, the front drawer panel 100 can rest against portions of the faceframe components 88, 90.

While the embodiment of the drawer system 110 illustrated in FIGS. 19and 20 is shown having drawer glide mechanisms 10 that are used in aface frame drawer cabinet 78, the drawer glide mechanisms 10 can also beused in frameless cabinets. For example, the drawer glide mechanisms 10can be attached to the back side paneling of a frameless drawer cabinetwith the v-notch socket 12, as well as to one or more side panels orother structures within a frameless cabinet. Thus, the drawer glidemechanism 10 can be used in a variety of settings within different typesof kitchen and bathroom cabinets to facilitate drawer installation andmovement.

Overall, the drawer glide mechanism 10 advantageously combines the lowcost of an epoxy glide with the high performance of a ball bearingglide. This enables ease of manufacturing and assembly, labor and timesavings, cost reduction, and results in drawers that operate and movesmoothly within kitchen or bathroom cabinetry.

For example, and as described above, epoxy glides are low cost, andinclude a single roller (e.g. wheel) on both ends of the glidemechanism. The rollers are used to allow the drawer to slide in and outof a piece of cabinetry along the guide members. The epoxy guides do notutilize capturing of components to severely restrict or entirelyprohibit relative movement of components. Rather, the guides of an epoxyglide are set loosely within one another such that one guide member canunintentionally move relative the other during the operation, oftenresulting in uneven and wobbly drawer movement. Epoxy glides include aninner guide member and an outer guide member. The inner guide member cansit at least in part within the outer guide member, such that the rolleron each guide member contacts the other opposing guide member. However,in this arrangement it is possible for the inner guide member to falloff of or slip away from an outer guide member in at least onedirection, causing the rollers to lose at least partial contact with theguide members, and for the drawer movement to become unstable andnon-linear.

The ball bearing guides, on the other hand, are often bulky, expensive,and require two-piece sockets and/or additional fasteners (e.g. bolts)to support them within a storage compartment. These guides are oftendesigned for use in industrial settings, such as for storage of computercomponents. They are also designed and used for high end cabinetry,where the walls of the cabinet are much thicker than common kitchen andbathroom cabinetry, and where the dimensional tolerances in designingand manufacturing the cabinetry are more precise.

In common kitchens and bathrooms, where the tolerances of the cabinetryare not as precise, and where there are often misshapen, slightlywarped, and/or different sized cabinets, it would be advantageous tohave drawer glides that utilize the more smooth, linear operation of aball bearing guide, yet are still light-weight, low cost, and canfunction within a cabinet that does not have the thick paneling andprecise tolerances found in the cabinetry described above. Thus, itwould be advantageous to have drawer glides that have tight capture, asdescribed above, such that the elongate guides 14, 18 do not fall of orslip away from one another as occurs with epoxy glides, and alsoadvantageous to have drawer glides that can be installed in cabinetswith relatively low dimensional tolerances and thin paneling.

The drawer glide mechanism 10 described above can accomplish these goalsby utilizing, for example, an inexpensive, single plastic socket piece,such as v-notch socket 12, with relatively thin metal guide members 14,18, and a metal ball bearing component 16. The drawer glide mechanism 10described above is both light-weight and low cost, can be usedinterchangeably with common v-notch sockets typically used in kitchenbathrooms and cabinets, and affords the consistently smooth andwell-structured movement that is desired.

Additionally, while the drawer glide mechanism 10 can be made to have asmooth operation and have tight tolerances, the drawer glide 10 can alsoadvantageously include one or more components to facilitate adjustmentof the guide members 14, 18 and/or of an attached drawer. For example,and as described above, the drawer glide mechanism 10 can include one ormore floating and fixed members, slots, and/or embossing. Thesecomponents can aid in the installation and proper adjustment of a drawerwithin a kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Additionally, or alternatively,the drawer glide mechanism 10 can include a v-notch socket 12 that hasopening(s) such as a first opening and second opening 22, 24 thatfacilitate relative movement of the first elongate guide member 12 withthe drawer cabinet itself (e.g. to the back wall panel 82 of the drawercabinet 78). Advantageously, these adjustments can be self-adjusting.Thus, no additional equipment, fasteners, and/or any type of furthermechanical adjustment is required by an operator once the drawer hasinitially been installed.

While the above embodiments are described in the context of a kitchen orbathroom cabinet, the embodiments described above can be used in otherenvironments as well, including but not limited to other areas of ahome, in commercial settings such as offices, warehouses, etc.Additionally, while the embodiment of the drawer glide mechanism 10described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1-18 includes a v-notch socket12, a first elongate guide member 14, a ball bearing component 16, asecond elongate guide member 18, two floating members 54, two fixedmembers 56, a slot 52, and an embossed portion 74, other combinationsand numbers of components can also be used. For example, in someembodiments a drawer glide mechanism can include a v-notch socket 12, afirst elongate guide member 14, a ball bearing component 16, a secondelongate guide member 18, three floating members 54, three fixed members56, and an embossed portion 74. In some embodiments a drawer glidemechanism can include a v-notch socket 12, a first elongate guide member14, a ball bearing component 16, a second elongate guide member 18, twofloating members 54, and two fixed members 56. In some embodiments adrawer glide mechanism can include a v-notch socket 12, a first elongateguide member 14, a ball bearing component 16, and a second elongateguide member 18. In some embodiments a drawer glide mechanism caninclude a v-notch socket 12, a first elongate guide member 14, a ballbearing component 16, a second elongate guide member 18, two floatingmembers 54, two fixed members 56, and a slot 52. Various othercombinations are also possible.

Furthermore, in some embodiments the drawer glide mechanism can comprisefor example a common epoxy glide, without a ball bearing component, butcan include one or more floating members 54, fixed members 56, slots 52,and/or embossed portions 74. Thus, the floating and fixed members 54,56, as well as other features described above including but not limitedto the slot 52 and embossed portion 74, can be used not only on a ballbearing glide like drawer glide mechanism 10 described above, but on anytype of glide mechanism.

Although these inventions have been disclosed in the context of certainpreferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the present inventions extend beyond thespecifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodimentsand/or uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalentsthereof. In addition, while several variations of the inventions havebeen shown and described in detail, other modifications, which arewithin the scope of these inventions, will be readily apparent to thoseof skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplatedthat various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific featuresand aspects of the embodiments can be made and still fall within thescope of the inventions. It should be understood that various featuresand aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with orsubstituted for one another in order to form varying modes of thedisclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at leastsome of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited bythe particular disclosed embodiments described above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A drawer system comprising: a drawer cabinetcomprising a back side panel, two side panels, and a plurality of faceframe components; two drawer glide mechanisms, each of the drawer glidemechanisms attached to the back side panel and comprising: a firstelongate guide member having a longitudinally extending body and adistal end; a second elongate guide member nested within the firstelongate guide member, the second elongate guide member having alongitudinally extending body; at least one fixed member protruding fromand extending generally transverse to the longitudinally extending bodyof the second elongate guide member; at least one floating memberextending at least partially over the fixed member, the floating memberconfigured to slide over the first fixed member in a transversedirection relative the longitudinally extending body of the secondelongate guide member; a ball bearing component comprising a pluralityof ball bearings between the first and second elongate guide membersconfigured to permit longitudinal movement of the second elongate guidemember relative to the first elongate guide member; a socket having abody portion, at least a first opening in the body portion, and at leastone dowel portion protruding from a back side of the body portion andinto the back side panel of the drawer cabinet, the socket configured toreceive the distal end of the first elongate guide member; and a drawercomprising a back drawer panel, two side drawer panels, and a frontdrawer panel, the drawer attached to the second elongate guide membervia the at least one floating member.